It’s done and it’s gorgeously cushy and it is a baby blanket that any Great Grand Mother would be proud of, BUT…….
I’m not in love with it, and because of this I am hugely disappointed.
It is a fabulous colour…Chilli red and not the traditional blue for a boy. and I love that. I also love that it has made up so densely and is beautifully warm and snuggly for the winter… I have also mastered blanket stitch!
about the yarn…
That’s where the positive ends for me tho…. although the yarn is soft in the finished blanket, it was not that pleasurable to work with…it didn’t slide on and off the hook and was a bit splitty and annoying.
chilli pepper baby blanket in s.l.o.w progress
It has also taken me soooo much longer than I had planned and I can’t work out whether this is one of the reasons for my poor relationship with this blanket, or… because I wasn’t having much hooking joy, that it has taken me longer than anticipated to hook!!
This blanket became a real block for my other hooky plans too… another reason for my lack of love for it.
So, to get my crojo back, I thought about the last hooky thing that really rocked me…that pompom border on my happy ripple…..
and I got creative by making a brand new pompom board on pinterest… go on I dare you to have a peek!
Oh…the potential!
and once I had done that… I felt much better…and found myself thinking maybe a basket stitch blanket in a thinner yarn would be nice…
I love to gift my creations, as I’m sure most of you do. It is very rare that I keep what I make. Often, I will hook a project and think I must make one of those for myself, but I never seem to get around to it!
Handmade… it just says ‘you are so special, I took the time and thought to make you something unique, individual… just for you.’ It is a tangible and often practical expression of love.
The saying that it is better to give than receive is so true. That is why I think it is important to present your gift with just as much attention to detail as the actual gift itself. I think that a gift should look as beautiful as it can to excite and shout…
‘LOOK AT ME – I’M JUST FOR YOU!’
For me a gift is not only the present it’s the experience of receiving as well. Here is the Happy Ripple ready to go
hand crocheted tag
I even wrote a little poem!
And this was another handmade of mine, gifted as a wedding present.
So this week has seen the start of the Roses and Posies tea cosy by Nicki Trench. It is the tea cosy that you can see on the front of this book….
Nicki Trench book
So here is my progress this week…
components for roses and posies tea cosy designed by Nicki Trench
I really enjoyed whipping up these roses and hooked them all over the place this week, mostly in the car, whilst waiting for one or more of my Little Robins (as their social life is so much better than mine!!).
naked tea cosy
these little roses are gorgeous to hook
and here it is my second Finished Object
roses and posies tea cosy by Nicki Trench
If you knew my friend, then you would know that she is just going to love this tea cosy!!
Tea Time x
I have also made a start on my scrappy afghan… I want this to be huge at least big enough for Mr R and I to snuggle under together, so I’m not even going to do the maths and work out how many squares… as that may be rather disheartening to know! But, this is the width and I’m x3 rows in, so I’m a happy Robin. It’s a long term project always in the back ground, but always a joy to hook. It’s a bit like having an old friend that you get excited to see, you know you can always pick up where you left off from, easy and relaxing and just a pleasure to be with, well that’s this blanket!!
tiny little granny squares
I love a simple granny!
The happy ripple is almost done too, no pictures this week, but there will be some next week… About x5 more rows and a border and it will be done ready to gift at the end of this month.
I joined a group on Ravelry back in August 2013 called the Global Square Exchange. It is a fab group of ladies from all around the world who swap squares both crochet and knitted… the beauty of this group is that there is no pressure or time deadlines and you can just dip in and out as life lets you… which gives the whole group a really relaxed feeling, which is definatley what I like about it the most.
So off I went about swapping squares from all around the world. Some from very far away…..
some from a bit closer to home!
Squares from all arond the Globe, India, Australia, USA, Germany and Finland as well as the UK.
My only request was any colours, any design! Which was a big thing for me as I love to plan out colours and designs and keep lists and make lists and generally be in CONTROL!!
I cant describe the lovely excitement that rises in you when the postman drops that little parcel through your door, or how a carefully placed parcel on the kitchen table enthuses your energy after a long day at work. It is joyful!
To see what has been created lovingly especially for you, each square stitched and parcelled up, sometimes with extra goodies such as tea/ coffee, postcards or a little letter, stitch markers, ribbon, buttons, recipies, bookmarks, patterns, pens, stickers for the boys and sometimes even yarn itself, caused me to feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I think too, I should mention how oozingly happy it is to make someone a parcel also. To send it off and then to wait to hear that it arrived and that its owner is as delighted as you are. So all round happiness. Everyone could use some more of that!
Slowly my squares were accumlating in number and I stored them in an allocated basket, wandering honestly if I would ever put them together, or if I would ever have enough to make a blanket. I decided I wished to make a camping blanket as if I’m honest, I thought that the randomness of the squares, although individually beautiful, would not coordinate into a handsome blanket, so a tent may be the perfect place for such an object, where usefulness succeeds prettiness. HOW WRONG WAS I!!!
friends around the globe x
I honestly dont think I ever imagined that random squares could make such a beautiful blanket, not only is it beautiful, it is quirky, bespoke, and totally gorgous!…. I am definatley taking it camping, and then definatley keeping it on show and snuggling in it!
This blanket has become very special to me…. perhaps because it has connected me with people around the world whom I shall never meet, but who have become special to me through this project. And I have learned that planning and order have their place…. but actually to surround myself with the things that I love, whether they match or not makes my life richer x
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